Outer Planes
The Outer Planes were formed during the Theomachy, the war between the Celestial pantheon and the primordial gods which took place long before the formation of the "natural universe". They are visualized by many creatures of Keren as completing a ring of eight alignment-aligned god-realms encompassed in a ninth, the "true neutral" of the Outlands. Beyond the Outer Planes is the Void, a place of non-existence beyond mortal kenning. The planes are listed below by their Common names. The planes might be far more complex than the beings of the natural world know. Any character proficient in religion is likely to describe the Outer Realms in the kind of details provided below. The Abyss The Abyss contains the chaotic evil beings that were defeated by the celestials during the Theomachy. Full of pandemonium and nightmarish flux, it is the home realm of the demons. Demon princes and fallen deities are able to control vast demonic legions and rule over abyssal layers or realms, but it is the nature of the abyss for no structure, "physical" or political, to last long. Currently, Demogorgon, Orcus, and Graz'zt are believed to be the most powerful princes of hell. Laogzed, the god of the Troglodytes and Lolth, the goddess of the Drow, and Baphomet, god of the minotaurs and prince of beasts, are also trapped here. While none of the beings mentioned above can escape from the Abyss, their myriad of servants are able to reach the Outlands and beyond, especially when summoned. Alchera Also known as the Beastlands and the Primal Green, Alchera is the realm of chaotic good deities, most notably Ehlonna, the goddess of the moon, fertility, forests, Therians and lycanthropes. Ehlonna is a celestial goddess, but her chaotic nature precludes her from deep ties to the Celestial Court. Alchera and the Feywild have a natural affinity and many of their creatures cross into one another's boundaries. Corellon, the god of the elves is believed to be Ehlonna's consort while he is in the Alchera and she is his while she is in the Feywild. The Alchera is filled with vast forests of all manner of climates and flora, and haven to a number of nature spirits and magical beasts that have fled there from other realms. The Blessed Isles A plane of a vast and tranquil cosmic ocean encompassing island city states that rival the mythical Atlantis. Garl Glitterglome, god of the gnomes, inhabits this realm. Many of its native species are acquatic- the merfolk's god Eadro also lives here but did not participate in service to the Celestials during the Theomachy nor is considered as one of their number. A number of other minor deities who are typically benevolent but not directly associated with the Celestial Court or the Faerie likewise dwell here. Celestial Courts The home plane of the Celestial pantheon, ruled by Pelor. The servant race of the Celestials, the Archons, are the most populous of its species. Yondalla, the goddess of the halflings and Moradin, the god of the Dwarves both share Pelor's alignment and dwell within the Celestial Courts, as does the supernal gold dragon Bahamut. The Celestial Court looks extremely palatial in an ephemeral and pristine way. Unlike many planes, the Celestial Court welcomes visitors beyond those that have an affinity to its alignment, so long as they conduct themselves in lawful and good ways while within the plane. Pelor is known to summon the non-lawful good Celestials to him whenever he has need, for example. The Feywild The Feywild is also called the plane of Faerie. It is ruled by the Seldarine, the greatest of which is Corellon Larethian. The Seldarine fought upon the side of the Celestial pantheon during the Theomachy, which earned them the rulership of the Feywild. The world of Keren is a geographic "echo" of the Feywild, which is unfathomably beautiful and steeped in arcane forces. The child race of the Seldarine, the Eladrin, exist here as did the progenitors of the Tel-quessir before Araushnee brought them to ruin. Some of the fey creatures found in Keren are visitors from the Feywild, but more commonly they are simply natural born descendents of the same. It is possible to reach the Feywild directly from Keren instead of using the Astral Plane by finding and crossing through Hedge Gates. The Infernal Hells Also called Baator and the "Nine Infernal Hells", the Infernal plane was one of two created specifically to imprison the primordial armies. The Baatezu are the ruling species of devils who are themselves led by the Lords of the Nine, of which the most powerful is Asmodeus. Gruumsh, the god of the Orcs, also inhabits the Infernal as does the chromatic dragon Tiamat. None of these beings can leave the Infernal plane unless the Celestial Court is overthrown, but their lesser minions can be easily escape into the Outlands or be summoned into other planes, including the Prime Material. The Infernals are currently engaged in their own Blood War against the Abyssals, who they blame for causing the primordials to be defeated by the celestial gods. Lux The realm of lawful balance, Lux is the domain of Boccob the Uncaring, who fought for the Celestials during the Theomachy. It is a realm of synergy, balance, abstraction, logic, mathematics. The modrons, a race of semi-autonomous geometrical shapes, have no passions positive or negative. Lux has less of a tangible "mechanical" or "clockwork" feel than Mechanus/Nirvanah. Instead, it is composed of binary strings of positive and negative charges that more resemble the elements of computer code, molecular physics and biology. As such, it is very alien and confusing to most creatures of the other planes. The Outlands A reflection of the Astral plane but darker and more alien to natural beings. It surrounds the other outerplanes and serves as a buffer between the metaverse and the Void. Creatures of the Outlands are true neutral and generally only devoted to their own self-interest or protecting the planes of reality from the Void. The Shadow The Shadow is also called the Netherworld and the Underworld. It is ruled by Nerull the Reaper, a neutral evil deity who is paradoxically also a member of the Celestial pantheon. Nerull's participation in the Theomachy as one of Pelor's allies led to him being granted greater sufferance than other devil deities. Perhaps for this reason the Shadow like the Feywild overlaps the Prime Material plane in a way that travel through the astral plane is not required to reach it. It is into the Shadow that the souls of the dead generally go, and from which any number of Undead and Shadow creatures claw their way into Keren. Hextor, the only other evil Celestial god, also inhabits the Shadow.